Most hospitals deal mainly with short-term acute care. This means that the goal for most visits to the hospital is to immediately make someone better, usually with surgery or some other medical procedure. Post-acute care rehabilitation hospitals deal with the aftermath. Many seniors need time after short-term post acute care to become stable enough to reach the point where discharge back to their normal living residency is possible.
Post-acute rehabilitation can take place in any of the following settings:
Long-term care hospitals
Inpatient rehabilitation facilities
Skilled nursing facilities
Home Health Agencies
Post-acute rehabilitation helps seniors with one or more of physical, occupational, and speech therapy:
Coordination and balance
Strength and flexibility
Swallowing and speech
Cognition
Some of the common reasons seniors undergo post-acute rehabilitation are for:
Pelvis breaks
Degenerative or spinal cord injuries
Surgery and amputations
Strokes and heart attacks
Neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis
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